Breaking the Fourth Wall: Does it Work in TV Writing?
- Kristina Jilly
- Jun 3
- 2 min read
What is it and when should TV writers use it–if at all?
It’s a storytelling technique where characters talk directly to the audience, therefore acknowledging that we’re there, in the room with them.
It breaks that invisible barrier that usually exists between reality and the fiction of whatever we’re watching.
The concept comes from traditional theatre where the stage usually has three physical walls. The imagined fourth wall is the invisible one through which the audience watches the play.
Breaking the fourth wall has its origins in ancient times. The so-called chorus (who were a group of performers on stage) in ancient Greek theatre would talk to the audience directly, to comment on the action of the play–especially in comedies. In Elizabethan theatre, Shakespeare regularly used the technique. Actors would often speak directly to the audience on open-air stages during monologues and soliloquies in the 17th century.
Why do it in TV series?
Firstly, it can be a way to deliver exposition, character motivation or plot points in an efficient way.
But that should be treated with caution, as it can slow down the pacing of a show. It can also feel a little like we’re being spoon-fed information, which kills engagement.
When done well, it helps forge a strong emotional bond between the audience and the character. This works with charismatic characters or people whose actions contrast drastically with what’s going on in their internal thoughts. Being privy to what they really think creates a magical sense of intimacy.
FLEABAG, for instance, did a great job of breaking the fourth wall. It completely suited who she was as a character, supplementing awkward social interactions with her often subversive, non-conventional thoughts.
HOUSE OF CARDS also used the technique to good effect because it was useful having Frank Underwood, the main character, talk us through the niche nature of politics on Capitol Hill.
More recently the technique was used less successfully in VLADIMIR, which had nothing to do with Rachel Weisz’s acting chops. The biggest issue was that we never learned drastically conflicting or new information from the main character's asides to the audience. (Incidentally, the book offers so much more insight into the narrator's character, so is well worth the read).
Can you think of any other show that have used this technique successfully?
Story Inkubator was founded by writer, scriptwriter and teacher, Kristina Jilly, an Australian living in Central Europe who's written for HBO Europe and RTL Television. She has an M.A. in Screenwriting and teaches at the University of Applied Sciences in Austria. Kristina also writes online content about the art of storytelling and topics that inspire creativity.
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